Under Pressure

The men’s golf team has seen tremendous success in recent years, winning two of the last four BIG EAST Championships. Led by head coach Steve Bailey, the squad continuously battles adversity and overcomes the odds.

With success comes pressure, whether that be from fans, coaches or the players themselves. Despite being such a successful program, Bailey teaches his players to look beyond the pressure and transform it into motivation.

“The so-called ‘pressures,’ that’s all driven by each individual,” Bailey says. “We just try to get immersed in the process and have them stick to that routine each time. It’s something that sounds so simple and on the other end, it’s probably the most difficult thing in our game.”

Junior Matt Murlick says Bailey’s wisdom helps alleviate any stress presented on the golf course, which allows for each golfer to improve his game.

“Not only coach Bailey, but (coach) Trake (Carpenter) as well are really good on the course during a tournament,” Murlick says. “They never put us down. They always try to pick us up. In terms of golf being a really mentally tough sport, it helps to have coach Bailey or Carpenter with us.”

Despite the recent success of the Marquette men’s golf team, players still seem to receive little recognition for their achievements on campus, compared to other sports. While most programs could grow discouraged, Bailey and the Golden Eagles continuously block out the negativity and perform to their best abilities on the course.

“We just make the best of our situation,” Bailey says. “Regardless of what other people see, we feel pretty fortunate. We don’t need any extra attention. We’ll let people on the outside decide to do whatever they want. There’s no pressure at all.”